Hydrangea paniculata – These hardy hydrangeas can thrive in a variety of soil types, including clay, and they love sunshine. They begin to bloom in mid to late summer, offering showy panicles of flowers that transition from white to pink as the season progresses.
Potentilla fruticosa – Also known as Shrubby cinquefoil, this hardy shrub enjoys full sun and tolerates a variety of soil types, including clay. It blooms from early summer to early autumn with lovely, buttery yellow flowers.
Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’ – This mock orange variety offers highly fragrant, white flowers with a purple centre from late spring to early summer. It can tolerate many soil types, including clay, and enjoys a sunny position.
Spiraea japonica – This is a very resilient and popular shrub that blooms from June to August. It has attractive, colourful foliage, and its pink or red flowers attract butterflies. It prefers full sun to part shade and can adapt to a wide range of soil conditions.
Weigela florida – Weigelas are robust and versatile shrubs that bloom in late spring to early summer, but they can have a secondary, lighter bloom in late summer. They are tolerant of clay soils and love a sunny spot. The flowers, often pink or red, are loved by hummingbirds.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Stonecrop) – This is a popular choice for late summer and early autumn colour. Its flower heads start pink in late summer and mature to a beautiful russet in the autumn. It enjoys full sun and is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, including clay.
Echinacea purpurea (Coneflower) – This perennial is highly valued for its large, daisy-like flowers that appear from late summer to autumn. It likes sunny spots and can cope with clay soil, provided it has been improved with organic matter to improve drainage.
Rudbeckia fulgida (Black-eyed Susan) – This is a showy perennial that produces vibrant yellow flowers from late summer through to autumn. It enjoys full sun and can tolerate clay soil, provided it is well-draining.
Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ (Sneezeweed) – Despite its unfortunate common name, this is a very beautiful perennial that blooms from mid-summer to early autumn, with fiery red and orange daisy-like flowers. It likes a sunny position and can handle clay soil.
Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’ (Aster) – This aster variety blooms from mid-summer to autumn with a profusion of lavender-blue flowers. It enjoys full sun and can thrive in a range of soil types, including clay, provided it is well-draining.
Mulberry Trees (Morus): These are deciduous trees known for their delicious, sweet-tasting berries. The leaves are broad and light green, providing ample shade, and the fruits come in different colours depending on the species, such as black, white and red. Mulberries are also valued for their attractive, gnarled trunk and branches.
Hydrangeas: A group of flowering shrubs popular for their large clusters of flowers that come in a variety of colours like white, pink, purple, and blue. Some types, like Hydrangea macrophylla, have the unique ability to change flower colour based on soil pH. Hydrangeas also have attractive foliage and can have exceptional autumn colour in some varieties.
Acer Palmatum Trees (Japanese Maple): Known for their beautiful, ornamental qualities, these small, deciduous trees have a stunning display of foliage in various shades of green, red, and purple, with leaves often finely dissected, giving them a lace-like appearance. Their colour can become even more brilliant in autumn.
Clematis armandii: This is a vigorous evergreen climber with long, dark, glossy green leaves. In early spring, it produces an abundance of fragrant, star-shaped white flowers. It’s perfect for brightening up a wall or trellis.
Clematis ‘Jackmanii’: This is one of the most popular varieties of clematis, known for its large, velvety-purple flowers that bloom profusely from mid to late summer. Like other clematis, it’s a climber and needs support to grow vertically.
Amelanchier lamarckii (Juneberry): A small deciduous tree or large shrub that’s cherished for its year-round interest. In spring, it’s covered in clusters of white, star-shaped flowers, followed by edible berries in early summer (hence the name Juneberry). Its leaves start out bronze-red, change to green in summer, and then turn spectacular shades of orange and red in autumn.
Ceanothus ‘Concha’: This evergreen shrub is known for its abundant, intensely blue flowers that bloom in late spring and attract bees and butterflies. The foliage is dark green and glossy. It’s one of the hardier varieties of Ceanothus and can tolerate colder climates better than others.
